Flash-light.



M. L. KAPLAN.

FLASH LIGHT.

APPLCATION [11.50 NOV. 24. v1914.

1 1 99,276 Patented Sept. 26, 1916.

22 WW 96%2/1mq 20 $513 611 41014404 MW w.

unrrnn STATES PATENT orricn.

MORDUGH L. KAPLAN, 0F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR '10 BEACON MINIATURE ELECTRIC 00., ING, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

FLASH-LIGHT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 25, 1916.

Application filed November 24,1914. Serial No. 873,697.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MORDUOH L. KAP- LAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flash- Lights, ofwhich the following is a specification. I

The invention pertains more particularly to portable electric lamps of the character designed to be held in the hand and sometimes used as flash lights and at other times for affording a permanent light for a short period, and the object of the invention is to provide a novel and efficient construction of lamp of the class referred to by which certain advantages are attained, one such advantage being the avoidance of the accidental lighting of the lamp by the placing of the exposed metal parts against a metal surface or against the metal parts of another flash light. These flash lights are frequently used by workmen and by them carried in a box of tools, and in .many constructions when the flash light is placed against a metal tool the latter closes the circuit and lights the lamp, whereas in my construction of flash light this objection is entirely avoided, even if an all-metal casing is used.

My invention more particularly comprises novel means for making and breaking the circuit through the lamp and in carrying out my invention, in its preferred embodiment, I provide within the rear end of the main casing or cylindrical shell a cap of conducting material which is in electrical connection with the lower or rear end of the battery and insulated from the cap which closes said end of the main casing, and within the chamber formed by the casing and extending along the battery I provide a slidable conductor-strip or switch which is operable by a thumb-piece located'on the exterior of the main casing .and has its lower end positioned to, at the proper time, be moved into electrical connection with the aforesaid inner cap, whereby the circuit through the lamp is completed.

The invention will be fully understood from the detailed description hereinafter presented, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side. elevation of a portable electric light embodying my invention; Fig.

scale of the same on the dotted line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a horizontal section through the casing of the flash light and slide connected therewith taken on the dotted line 33 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a vertical section through a portion of the shell or casing of the flash light and shows, in elevation, the slidable conductor or circuit closer located on the inner surface of said shell or casing, and Fig. 5 is a ,"vertical section, partly broken away, through the outer end portion of the flash light.

In the drawings, 10 designates the exterior tubular casing or shell, 11 the battery therein, 12 a metal cap closing the lower end of said casing, 13 the customary lens, 14 a metal cap fastened upon the outer end of the casing 10 and engaging said lens, 15 a reflector connected with the said cap, and 16 the lamp bulb having its threaded socket 17 screwed within a threaded neck 18 formed on the said reflector, said lamp having the customary terminal 19 in engagement with the upper end of thebattery 11.

The cap 12 is of metal and has an outer beaded portion 20 and a neck portion 21 which enters within the end of the metal casing 10, being detachably secured therein by means of a bayonet lock, said neck 21 being formed with the usual angular slots 22 which receive pins or studs 23 pro]ect1ng laterally from the wallof the shell or casing 10. The neck portion 21 of the cap '12 closely fits the shell 10, and the beaded portion 20 of said cap engages the edge of sa1d shell or casing. Within the cap 20 1s a lining or cap 24 of paper or other non-conducting material, and within this cap 24 is secured a cap 25 of conducting material, such as sheet metal, the sides 'of said cap 25 being extended upwardly above the lower edges of the battery 11 and sa1d cap receiving the usual conduct ng spring 26 which isin engagement with the lower end of said battery. The lining or cap of msulating material'24 closely fits within the cap 12 and extends into the beading 20, which affords an annular groove or undercut surface adapted to securely hold sa1d cap 24,and the inner cap 25 at 1ts outer edges is beaded to enter the recess or beading formed in the outer edges of the cap 24 whereby said cap 25 becomes securely held in position. The lower coil of. the sprmg 2 is a central vertical section on a larger 26 is expanded into the annular recess formed at the outer edges of the cap 25, and thereby becomes securely connected with said cap.

The cap 14 harmonizes with the general structure of the cap 12, and it is secured on the outer end of the shell or casing 10 by a suitable bayonet look not necessary to be described. The invention is not, of course, limited to the employment of bayonet locks for connecting the caps 12 and 14; to the shell or casing 10, but such locks may be conveniently employed for securing said caps.

ithin the shell or casing 10 and engaging the inner face thereof, is provided a slidable conductor or circuit closer switch 27 one end of which is recessed in its opposite edges and at said recesses secured by fingers 28 to an exposed thumb-piece or slide 29, said slide 29 being mounted on the exterior of the shell or casing 10 and having the fingers 28 formed integrally therewith and extending through slots 30 formed in the shell or casing 10. The fingers 28 cooperate with the slots 30 in guiding the switch 27, and the inner ends of said fingers 28 extend through the recesses formed in the opposite edges of the switch 27 and are bent laterally toward each other over upon said switch, as shown in Fig. 4, whereby the thumb-piece 29 and switch 27 become secured to the shell or casing 10 and connected with each other. The switch 27 adjacent to its rear end is formed with a longitudinal slot 31 which receives a pin 32 projecting from the shell or casing 10, and said slot and pin serve to aid in guiding the switch 27 and also in preventing any tendencv of said switch to move laterally.

The rear end of the switch 27 is somewhat pointed, the opposite side edges of said end of said switch being out off on converging lines and the rear extremity of said switch 27 is bowed outwardly forming a projection 33 which is adapted to a recess 3 1 formed in the inner wall of the shell or casing 10. The projection 33, when the switch 27 is moved rearwardly by the action of the thumb on the thumb-piece 29, rides against the rear wall of the recess 34 and is thereby forced inwardly orin a direction toward the battery 11, with the result that the extreme rear end of the switch 27 is carried against the edge of the conducting cap 25 and completes the circuit. The projection 33 thus operates as a cam in compelling the lower end of the switch 27 to engage the cap 25 and complete the circuit when said switch is moved rearwardly. When it is desired to break the circuit the user of the flash light will, by pressure of the thumb, push the slide or thumb-piece 29 forwardly, thereby causing the switch 27 to slide forwardly or to its normal position shown by Fig. 4, the projection 33 on said switch being caused by the resiliency of the metal of the switch to enter the recess 3% upon the switch arriving at its normal or inoperative position.

The novel features of the invention sought to be protected reside in the manually operative switch 27 and the construction at the lower or rear end of the shell or casing 10, this construction permitting the circuit to be completed by a movement of the switch for that purpose and preventing the circuit from being completed through the lower end of the battery under any other circumstances.

It will be understood without special explanation that when the switch 27 is moved downwardly into engagement with the cap 25 the circuit will be from the lower end of the battery through the spring 26, cap 25 and switch 27 to the metal casing 10 and thence, as usual, to the lamp and forward end of the battery. I prefer that a complete cap 25 be made use of since under such circumstances the cap can be readily secured within the lined outer cap 12 and a part of the rim of the cap 25 will always be in position to be engaged by the lower end of the switch 27 when said switch is moved downwardly, whereas should the cap 25 only have a limited surface for engagement by the switch 27, it might be that such surface when applying the cap to position on the flash light, would be carried out of alinement with said switch. And further, if the cap 25 only had a limited surface to be engaged by the switch 27 care would have to be exercised in so positioning such surface that when the cap 12 was placed on the end of the casing 10 such surface would invariably come into alinement with the switch.

lVhen the switch 27 is in its upper position the circuit from the lower end of the battery 11 is broken. My invention thus provides means whereby a flash light having a metal casing may be in no danger of having the circuit completed through it by any usual accidental cause or by placing the flash light in a box of tools or against a metal surface connecting the slide 29 with either or both ends or other part or parts of the exterior casing.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A portable flash light comprising a casing of conducting material having a removable cap closing its rear or lower end, a battery therein, an electric lamp having one terminal in engagement with one end of said battery and its other terminal in electrical connection with said casing, a cap of conducting material within and insulated from said removable cap and in electrical connection with the other end of said battery, a slide on the exterior of said casing,

and a conducting circuit closing strip within the casing and connected with said slide to engage said conducting cap on the movement of the slide in one direction, thereby to complete the circuit.

2. A portable flash light comprising a casing of conducting material having a removable cap closing its rear or lower end, a battery therein, an electric lamp having one terminal in engagement with one end of said battery and its other terminal in electrical connection with said casing, a cap of insulating material within said removable cap, a cap of conducting material with in said cap of insulating material and eX tending above said removable cap and the lower edge of the battery and being in electrical connection with the other end of said battery, a slide on the exterior of said casing, and a conducting circuit closing strip within the casing and connected with said slide to engage said conducting cap on the movement of the slide in one direction, thereby to complete the circuit.

3. A portable flash light comprising a casing of conducting material, a battery therein, an electric lamp having one terminal in engagement with one end of said battery and its other terminal in electrical engagement with said casing, a conductor electrically engaged with the other end of said battery and insulated from said casing, a slide on the exterior of said casing, and a conducting circuit closing strip within the casing and connected with said slide, whereby on the movement of said slide in one direction said strip may be moved into engagement with said conductor to complete the circuit, said strip having an outwardly bowed free end portion and said casing an interior recess to' receive said portion when said strip is in its inoperated position and at its edge-to cooperate therewith in forcing the end of the strip against said conductor when said strip is moved to its operative position.

Signed at New York city, in the county of New York'and State of New York, this 23rd day of November, A. D. 1914.

MORDUCH L. KAPLAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patentl.

Washington, D. G." 

